Bigfoot
Harry ran all the way from Hagrid's hut back to the Gryffindor tower, barely holding his breath. Hogwarts seemed to sense his urgency, and the staircases that usually confuse students made way for him with an incredibly smooth path.
Hermione and Ron followed him as he ran down the corridor. Harry was as agile as the Golden Snitch, weaving among the students rushing to their classrooms. Filch's angry roar was left far behind. When Umbridge tried to stop him with her wand, he even unconsciously cast a disarming charm, making her relive the scene of Lockhart being flung away by Snape.
Harry kept walking, oblivious to Umbridge's screams and the students' jeers; his mind was preoccupied with whether Queenie was safe.
Reason told him that the Death Eaters had just escaped from prison and were unlikely to commit another crime against the grain, but another voice in his head kept saying, "What if? What if they really are that ruthless? No, they are a bunch of lunatics, the kind of lunatics who would celebrate by indiscriminately throwing Killing Curses at Muggles!"
Damn it, why are the Gryffindor dorms on the eighth floor?!
Queenie was heading to the school bus stop as instructed by the school.
Last night, the government issued an emergency announcement that ten notorious murderers had escaped from prison. News reports were everywhere on television, and telecommunications companies sent numerous text messages warning citizens to be careful when traveling. I heard the government's hotline was overwhelmed with calls from angry citizens cursing their incompetence.
In short, the school attached great importance to this and temporarily arranged several dedicated school bus routes.
Queenie was curled up on the sofa reading Lockhart's novel last night when she received a call from her mother and learned about the incident. Then her father called, and both of them insisted that she take the school bus with everyone else, prioritizing safety above all else.
Queenie found a seat by the window, and just as she sat down, she received a call from Harry.
She answered the call with delight, "Harry? We've arrived at the first stop so soon? Did you miss me? I missed you too."
Harry's clear, heavy breathing came through the phone. He seemed to take a deep breath. "Queenie? Are you alright? Are you okay?"
“What could possibly happen to me?” Queenie quickly realized. “You also received the government’s unified text message? Don’t worry, the school has arranged school buses for pick-up and drop-off, and there are security guards on the buses.”
"..." No, he was afraid even special agents couldn't stop those bastards. "You must—" How? Be careful? But if they really encountered it, it wouldn't be a disaster that could be avoided simply by being careful.
Queenie continued, "I know, I'll be careful. I won't take shortcuts or walk at night, I'll only go to crowded places. I can take care of myself, okay?"
Harry, still anxious, reminded him, "Remember to always wear the jeweled hair clip I gave you."
The topic changed a bit too quickly. Queenie unconsciously touched her hair. "I'm wearing it. What's the significance of hair clips? Do they have magic too?"
Harry said seriously, "Emeralds symbolize good luck."
Queenie chuckled. "You're the lucky one, Harry. Where are you?"
Lisbon.
"Portugal? What else is famous for besides egg tarts and red wine?"
"Oh, and there's also egg tart tea, I'll bring some back for you."
"Then bring more, I want Emily to try some too."
"good."
Queenie wanted to say a few more words, but then she heard Hermione's urging voice coming from the other end, as if to say that time was running out. She considerately ended the chat, "Well then, darling, all the best. Say hello to Hermione and Ron for me, and Sirius too."
“Okay.” Harry asked, still a little worried, “Even though I can’t receive it in real time, could you at least let me know you’re safe every day?”
"Of course! Have I ever missed a day of looking for you? Okay, go ahead and get busy. Love you."
"I love you too."
Queenie ended the call, admired the dashing sailor Harry on the screen for another two seconds, smiled, put away her phone, and casually glanced out the window. Suddenly, her gaze froze. Was she seeing things? That looked like…
Even a major event like the Death Eaters' breakout couldn't stop the students from attending class. Hermione, seeing Harry hang up the phone, immediately said quickly, "Can we relax for now? We need to hurry. The first period today is Potions, and we have to get to the dungeons within five minutes."
Ron, still catching his breath, asked, "How many minutes? Why don't we just skip class?"
Hermione glared at him. "How many times do I have to remind you? You're the prefect!"
"You know I'm a prefect, not a house-elf!"
Hermione was reminded by his words, and she and Harry exchanged a glance, the latter clearly having just realized it as well.
"So why didn't we just ask Dobby to bring us back?"
"Uh, I was in too much of a rush and didn't think of that." But it's not too late now; at least it'll prevent them from getting points deducted for being late to Snape's class. "Dobby!"
The long-absent house-elf appeared in the dormitory with a loud bang. Dobby excitedly clutched the hem of his shirt, "The great Harry Potter has summoned Dobby! He needs Dobby!"
"Yes, Dobby, I need your help. Could you take the three of us directly to the cellar?"
"Dobby can do it!"
They arrived at the classroom within five minutes, even allowing half a minute for extra time, but Snape still deducted a point from each of them, arguing that they didn't take Potions class seriously.
Harry was already used to this; it would be abnormal if Snape didn't deduct points from his score in a class.
Hermione walked over to Neville, while Harry and Ron found an empty seat in the last row. As soon as they sat down, they felt their cell phones vibrate in their pockets. Fearing that something had happened to Queenie, they quickly took them out and put them under the table to check.
"Honey, Sirius's dog seems to be following me the whole time. Its name is Bigfoot, right?" This is followed by a photo Queenie took of the black dog chasing after the car.
"What?!"
"Gryffindor loses two points because Mr. Potter disrespects the classroom."
Harry felt like he was sitting on pins and needles throughout the class, and he especially wanted to go back to his dormitory to contact Sirius using the two-way mirror.
Hermione remained calm. "It's obvious that Bigfoot is trying to protect Q."
“But that’s too strange… Q might get suspicious, and besides—” As they passed a group of Hufflepuff students, Harry lowered his voice, “Are you sure no one in the Death Eaters knows his Animagus form?”
“I don’t think so. Even the Aurors don’t know about it,” Ron offered his opinion.
"No need to wait—maybe—" Hermione suddenly remembered something, which made her expression turn somewhat unpleasant.
Harry tensed up again. "What are you thinking about?"
"Insect tail—"
Now both boys realized that as Voldemort's loyal servant, that stinky rat would be happy to betray anyone, after all, that was his specialty.
Harry's expression also darkened. He summoned Dobby again, and the three of them returned to the boys' dormitory.
With no one in the dormitory, Harry pulled out the two-way mirror from the bottom of the box.
"Silis! Siris!"
Sirius's handsome face appeared in the mirror. "Hey Harry! You'll never guess where I am!" he said, as if he had accomplished something big.
"You went to see Queenie?"
"You know? Well, I'm glad to see you two can talk about anything."
“Listen to Sirius,” Hermione squeezed into the two-way mirror’s field of vision. “We know you want to protect Queenie, but don’t forget Wormtail! Your Animagus isn’t foolproof!”
The two-way mirror was only so big, and Ron couldn't squeeze in, so he could only stand behind the two of them to show his support, "Hermione is right!"
Sirius's smile faded. "I understand what you mean, and that's why I'm even more determined to stay with Queenie. She might run into the Death Eaters, or she might not, but if the worst happens, at least I can bring her safely back to the old house."
...What he said makes sense.
Sirius in the mirror suddenly leaned closer, carefully examining Harry's worried expression. "Alright, Harry, stop looking so gloomy. Until you're strong enough to protect us, your godfather will protect everyone else for you. Just do what you're supposed to do. Besides, the Death Eaters might not have the energy to cause trouble in the Muggle world, and the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix aren't pushovers either. I'm just doing this as a precaution." Hmm, also, finding something to do. If he stays in the old house any longer, he'll grow mushrooms.
"I will protect her."
Harry pursed his lips and emphasized, "And yourself."
“Of course.” Sirius smiled again. “We’ll all be fine. I’m looking forward to your wedding.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
